to think it suddenly seems 'the in-thing' to suffer with bi-polar?

[Champersonice]

This is really getting to me. Perhaps these 'celebs' really are suffering with bi-polar but I remember the days when it was the biggest taboo. My mother suffers with this illness and it is just awful.

There have been so many and whilst I really believe some I really do not believe Kerry Katona and now Catherine Zeta-Jones. Apparantely, CZJ booked herself into a psychiatric hospital for becoming manic-depressive following her husband's cancer, and now, according to her publicist is "feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on two upcoming films". Perhaps Ms Zeta-Jones should visit a real psychiatric hopsital (not a detox clinic) and see real life patients suffering with this terrible, terrible illness.

AIBU?

The oscar comment is in reference to a previous post Tongue in cheek. Get with the programme!

Champersonice of course it is only you and your family who have authority on bi-polar and whos experiences are valid. Stop being so judgey. Did you ever have any compassion?

Can you actually read? Are you familiar with the word - INFLECTION? Is it possible that you are not reading my threads as they are meant???

Get with the programme

heartless considering the subject matter

and not at all funny even if 'tongue in cheek'

Lighten up, Beaker.

lighten up?

you've made a joke about therapy on a thread about bipolar!

Beaker, you Muppet!

and am now hiding this thread

yawns

so you can't be famous and sucessful and BP then - okay glad we cleared that up.

Honestly I think yabvvu - KK's drug misuse and alcohol use is classice BP behaviour - risk taking and thrill seeking and self distructing - maybe you mum didn't do those things - my sister did though - for years

CZJ may have had BPD for YEARS and had it under control - then with the stress etc of the past year it's got worse - her meds need changing upping etc - and she is back on track

to suggest anyone would like the stigma of a serious mental health condition is madness - sorry

Sorry, can't read the whole thread, so apologies if it's been said already. I think American diagnositics are different to UK. Much more likely to be diagnosed with all sorts of mental illnesses in the US, that would fall under the radar here.

I have no idea what severity of the condition CZJ has, but, like a lot of conditions, it must be a continuum, with unpleasant mood swings at the mild end and full-blown mania (e.g., masturbating naked in a seclusion room for days) at the other.

In the UK, you've got to be pretty seriously mentally ill with bi-polar to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Perhaps in the US, you can admit yourself to an expensive private mental health facility with much milder symptoms, while here, you would barely qualify for counselling with your GP and certainly not specialist mental health services.

If Champers has lived with her mum's very severe bi-polar, I can appreciate that it is difficult to have all levels of this illness bunched together

That's it! I can't take anymore! I have been following this thread for some time - BEAKER, you seriously need to hush your beak!!! I really can't help but feel you are taking things WAY out of context re: OP's comments, at NO point did this person "make a joke about therapy", simply just pointing out a fact! Oh, and Champers you could be a little more tactful! Peace! This is coming from a person living with Bipolar myself! To the rest of the negative and at some times quite nasty comments - it's easy to judge when it's NOT you or YOUR family! x

Having googled a bit more about CZJ and her publicist's statement I do think that it all may have been a damage limitation exercise to prevent her being outed as she embarks on further work. Read it, the statement is very short and ends with "feeling great". Not as if someone is deliberately playing the MH card.

""After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check in to a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her Bipolar II disorder," the rep says in a statement. "She's feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films."

Gordy and everyone else who hasn't read my posts correctly: I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT YOU ARE IMMUNE TO BIPOLAR IF YOU ARE RICH/FAMOUS/BEAUTIFUL/ETC ETC.

When will peopel start to understand this? It is so annoying that people are taking other peoples' comments as my own argh!

Bakelite, it is true - it is impossible to bunch this illness together. It is also one of the most horrendous things one can ever experience.

Apache, thanks for your post. I take your advice and appreciate it. I do know that I am sometimes appearing tactless (actually, sometimes I am!) but in most cases, people are misunderstanding me OR misquoting me.

Champer you have to admit that in your OP you said you do not believe that KK and CZJ have it and, as it is the "in-thing" according to you, they are faking it.

Bemy, re-read my OP and you will see that the word 'fake/faking' doesn't even appear. Yes, I DID say that I don't believe KK and CZJ but that is exactly it, it is only MY OPINION and not fact! Perhaps the subject is misleading, what I meant by the quotes around "in-thing", is that imo it seems that bipolar appears to be the current fashion accessory...NOT that I think it is the in-thing to have. Perhaps you understand a little better now? I know I am not always making myself understood very well.

Re-read. OP: "I really do not believe Kerry Katona and now Catherine Zeta-Jones [have it]". Statement from Catherine Zeta-Jones : "Catherine made the decision to check in to a mental health facility ...to treat her Bipolar II disorder". OP implies that CZJ fakes it. Sorry.

Bemy, you still don't get it. I am not saying for a minute she's faking an illness, rather faking a story for a massive PR stunt. It is a spin, imo. And it is only MY opinion.

You are right I still do not get it. What is the difference between "she's faking an illness" and she is "faking a story"??

You and your mother did not have pages and pages dedicated to your suffering? My mum died from pancreatic cancer in agony where morphine is rationed, my dad and I cared for her without any help. (I would not dare say that numerous "slebs" rolled out their RP guns.) Fair enough, cancer is no MH, one has tangible prove that this shit is in your body. Do people always have to die to prove they are ill??

I am btw extremely sympathetic to you and your mum. It must be hell living with this condition and have to manage it all the time for your mum and for you.

not "RP" but "PR" (public relation)

I have messed up my post, I was trying to make a parallel with Swayze/Pavarotti (both tragically died from pancreatic cancer)...

Celebrities will always have attention of the press whether they like it or not. Such is life.

I am hiding this thread now, I am tired of arguing.

so if it's a PR stunt then surely it's FAKE - ergo you are saying she is faking it - the only alternative is the known FACTS - she HAS IT and has released a statement saying so :)

To be honest it wouldn't matter if CJZ had booked into get her ingrown toenails removed it would still be 'news' and her PR would spin it.

OP it you are coming across as if they can't possibly have Bi-polar because they don't appear to be as ill as your mum.

It shows a great dis trust of the human race if you think KK or Brittany spears would fake mental health issues for publicity.
If your mum was in the public eye her episodes would be tabloid fodder and people would debate whether she was faking it

I am not saying people have to be as ill as my mum to classed as having bipolar. It is because of my experience and understanding of this illness it saddens me when it is glamorised by celebs. Like I say, I also feel like people use it as a red herring. As far as KK and Britney are concerned, they certainly haven't helped to make people understand the illness.